Many times throughout your studies, you will be asked to locate Qualitative and Quantitative Research Studies regarding a particular topic.
This FAQ will walk you through the basics of doing this research regardless of the field.
What is quantitative and qualitative research?
Qualitative and quantitative are ways of describing the methodology of the research you are looking for.
Quantitative research is a means for testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables. These variables can be measured so that numerical data can be analyzed using statistical procedures.
Qualitative research is interested in data that cannot easily be reduced to numbers. Qualitative data describes qualities, characteristics, or experiences. It is collected using questionnaires, interviews, or observation and frequently appears in narrative form.
Qualitative research includes case studies, ethnographies, focus groups, and interviews.
Strategy A: Keyword Search
1. Pick a database. To ensure the relevance of your results, start by searching in a discipline-specific database. You can access these lists through the library home page. This example will use PsycInfo for its subject-specific database.
2. Simple Keyword Search. An initial keyword search may be as simple as adding the word qualitative or quantitative to your subject.
Example: "attention deficit disorder" AND qualitative
3. Revise Initial Search. To get a reasonable amount of relevant results, you will often need to revise your initial search by mixing in or swapping out keywords and key phrases.
If you are not getting enough results, you can try using the OR operator to also search for specific types of qualitative or quantitative studies such as focus groups or randomized controlled trials.
Examples:
"attention deficit disorder" AND (qualitative OR ethnograph* OR "focus group")
radiotherapy AND (quantitative OR "randomized controlled trials")
If you are getting too many results and you are looking for a specific kind of quantitative or qualitative study, you can use that just that study type as your methodology keyword.
Examples:
"attention deficit disorder" AND ethnograph*
radiotherapy AND "randomized controlled trials"
Keywords for Specific Types of Quantitative and Qualitative Research
You might try one or more of the keywords or key phrases below. This is not a comprehensive list. While researching you may discover new keywords for the desired methodology.
Quantitative
- Descriptive
- Comparative
- Quasi-experimental OR "quasi experimental"
- "Randomized Controlled Trial*" OR "Randomized trial" OR "randomised trial"
Qualitative
- "Case stud*"
- Ethnograph*
- "Focus group*"
- Interview
- Narrative
- Phenomenological
" " = Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases.
* = Use an asterisk to search for a term and variant spellings of that term. This is called truncation.
Strategy B: Subject Index Search
Another strategy for searching by methodology is to use a database's subject term index. Databases use subject terms to categorize similar articles and are a good way to access a number of related articles. Here are a few simple steps to follow.
1. Locate the Subject Index. In EBSCO databases, a link to the index will be in the top navigation banner. APA PsycInfo calls their subject index "APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms."
2. Search the Index. You can then search the index using the keyword qualitative or quantitative. Browse the results and select the methodology you are searching for.
3. Build a Search. After selecting the relevant terms, click Add.
Next, select Search. The database will retrieve all the articles categorized under Qualitative Methods. You can then filter and/or search within these results.
4. Find Broader or Narrower Subject Terms. You can also explore broader and narrower terms for your methodology by clicking on it. Here we can see that Qualitative Methods falls under the broader term Experimental Methods and that the database has six categories for specific kinds of qualitative methods.
You can add one of these broader or narrower subjects to your search by following the directions above. If you want to search for every record that includes a broader subject (like Qualitative Methods) and every record that includes these narrower subject terms, select Explode then Add. The result will be a much broader search.
Conclusion
You may need to try out both strategies to find enough relevant articles. No matter what strategy you use, the next step is to evaluate your search results by looking at the abstract and, if necessary, the introduction of the article to confirm that it is using the methodology you are researching.
If you are still stumped, don't hesitate to ask a librarian!
